Unlike most, I didn’t grow up wanting to someday join the military. No one in my immediate family was a servicemember and the few extended relatives who did join rarely mentioned their time in the service. So, imagine my parents’ surprise when I told them I was joining the U.S. Navy. A few weeks prior to leaving for basic training, @1regalrebel returned home from the Army to visit. She was the first female I actually knew in the service. We talked briefly and she doesn’t know this, but seeing her in uniform, combined with her mannerisms, is what solidified my decision. The day I left for basic training, my dad cried. He never said it, but I knew he didn’t want me to go. But it wasn’t about him, it was about me... I initially left because I wanted to leave home. Along the way, I realized I left because I wanted more...I wanted better for myself...and the military provided it. Now that I’m a mom, I understand the fear of “not knowing” when your child is away, I also understand the strength a person must possess to voluntarily sign over his or her life for others — people they’ll will never see. Right now, my 8-year-old is adamant that he wants to follow his mommy and daddy’s footsteps. If that remains true, I‘d be one proud mom, supporting and encouraging him every step of the way.